Increasing pre‐acclimation temperature reduces the freezing tolerance of winter‐type faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

Autumn‐sown winter‐type faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has been shown to have a yield advantage over spring sowing. Still, adoption of this overwintered pulse crop remains limited in temperate locations, due to inadequate winter hardiness. This research sought to understand how the prevailing temperature during emergence and seedling development, that is pre‐acclimation, influences freezing tolerance. Seedlings grown under a controlled “warm” 17/12°C (day/night) pre‐acclimation environment were initially less freezing tolerant than those grown under a “cold” 12/5°C temperature treatment. Stem and particularly root tissues were primarily responsible for slower cold acclimation, and there was a genotype specific response of above‐ground tissues to pre‐acclimation treatment. Both above and below‐ground tissues should be tested across a range of pre‐acclimation temperatures when screening faba bean germplasm for freezing tolerance.     

Relationship Between Cold Severity and Yield Loss in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)*

Seed yield in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is substantially increased by advancing sowing date from the traditional spring to early winter at low to medium elevation areas around the Mediterranean Sea. This shift, however, increases the probability of the exposure to subzero temperatures as low as -10 °C for up to 60 days in a year. These low temperatures often reduce seed yield of cold-susceptible cultivars. Yield losses from cold were estimated in two experiments conducted at Tel Hadya, Syria. In experiment 1, of 96 genotypes sown on nine dates ranging from autumn to spring during the 1981–82 season, those lacking tolerance to cold were killed and produced no yield in autumn sowing, whereas lines with cold tolerance produced nearly 4 t/ha which corresponds to a four-fold increase over spring sowing. Moderately cold-tolerant genotypes sown during early winter produced substantially more seed yield than the normal spring-sown crop. Seedlings were more cold tolerant than the plants in early or late vegetative stages. In experiment 2, in which yield loss due to cold in the field was estimated in 12 yield trials comprising 288 newly bred lines in the 1989–90 season, the regression of cold susceptibility on seed yield in each of the trials was highly significant and negative. On average, winter-sown trials produced 67 % more seed yield than spring-sown trials, but 125 out of 288 genotypes produced yield more than double in winter sowing. Early maturing lines suffered severe cold damage and many lines produced no seed.     

檵木及红花檵木种子萌发特性研究初报

为了探讨檵木及红花檵木种子萌发特性,为其通过有性杂交、实生选种等方法进行遗传改良与种质创新提供参考,选用檵木及红花檵木几个代表性类型和品种的种子为试验材料,研究不同采收期、不同贮藏方法、不同播种时间、不同预处理对其种子萌发的影响。结果显示：檵木及红花檵木种子具有后熟作用,需要经过100天左右的低温沙藏（层积处理）度过其深度生理休眠才能较好地发芽（室内发芽率可达70%~80%）;在长沙地区,为了在蒴果开裂种子散落前收集到具有较好萌发力的红花檵木种子,9月中旬至10月上旬采收较为适宜;带果皮的低温沙藏和不带果皮的低温储藏都不利于檵木及红花檵木种子的后熟,用不带果皮的脱粒种子进行低温沙藏是比较合适的贮藏方法;檵木及红花檵木种子室外秋播发芽率显著高于室外春播发芽率,同时还表现出一定的基因型差异。     

晚籼稻抽穗期冷害生态适应性评价

选择生育期相近的迟熟高产杂交稻组合或水稻品种（品系）,在自然条件下分期播种,寻找水稻抽穗期冷害相关的形态评价指标,并对参试材料进行抽穗期耐冷生态适应性评价。抽穗期遭受低温冷害胁迫后,主要农艺性状中受冷害程度大小顺序依次是每穗实粒数、单蔸产量、结实率、每穗总粒数、株高、穗长、千粒重;单蔸产量相对受害率（ＲＤＰ）与每穗实粒数ＲＤＰ、结实率ＲＤＰ、剑叶叶色分、抽穗期延尺天数分成极显著正相关。在低温冷害胁迫条件下,水稻不同基因型的抽穗期耐冷能力存在明显的差异。将判别水稻抽穗期耐冷能力的形态指标－－每穗实粒数ＲＤＰ、结实率ＲＤＰ、剑叶叶色、抽穗期延迟天数、苞穗率增加值进行量化,综合判别参试材料抽穗期对低温冷害的生态适应性。研究结果表明：籼穗交材料９５ＬＲ１０２后期耐冷能力强;带有部分粳稻血缘、正在生产中大面积种植的杂交稻     

Integrated breeding approaches for improving drought and heat adaptation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a dry season food legume largely grown on residual soil moisture after the rainy season. The crop often experiences moisture stress towards end of the crop season (terminal drought). The crop may also face heat stress at the reproductive stage if sowing is delayed. The breeding approaches for improving adaptation to these stresses include the development of varieties with early maturity and enhanced abiotic stress tolerance. Several varieties with improved drought tolerance have been developed by selecting for grain yield under moisture stress conditions. Similarly, selection for pod set in the crop subjected to heat stress during reproductive stage has helped in the development of heat‐tolerant varieties. A genomic region, called QTL‐hotspot, controlling several drought tolerance‐related traits has been introgressed into several popular cultivars using marker‐assisted backcrossing (MABC), and introgression lines giving significantly higher yield than the popular cultivars have been identified. Multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) approach has been found promising in enhancing genetic recombination and developing lines with enhanced tolerance to terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Breeding for adaptation to drought and heat in cowpea

Accomplishments in breeding for adaptation to drought and heat are reviewed based upon work with the indeterminate grain legume species cowpea. Plant traits and some crop management methods are examined that influence adaptation to rainfed production in the drought-prone, semiarid tropical Sahelian zone of Africa. Drought escape, drought resistance, delayed-leaf-senescence, and varietal intercrops are examined. In addition, adaptation to the heat that can detrimentally impact irrigated production in the hot, subtropical arid zone of California is evaluated. Heat tolerance during reproductive development, electrolyte leakage, membrane thermostability, some aspects of crop management including date of sowing, and chilling tolerance during emergence including the beneficial effects of a dehydrin protein are considered. Methods for breeding cowpeas with adaptation to drought and heat are described that have been effective.     

玉米耐旱性研究进展

干旱是目前影响玉米产量最重要的非生物胁迫因子。为了加快玉米耐旱性研究,提高育种效率,本研究归纳了近年来国内外玉米耐旱性研究现状将其总结为玉米耐旱性鉴定方法、遗传研究、品种选育以及耐旱性功能基因研究。对目前研究中存在的问题,如尚未有统一标准耐旱性鉴定体系、缺乏耐旱种质资源以及耐旱机理研究尚浅等进行了分析,并针对每个问题提出其解决对策,这为玉米耐旱性深入研究提供有力信息。     

Response of cotton genotypes to water and heat stress: from field to genes

Cotton is a crop of tropical and subtropical regions but the seed cotton yield is highly influenced by abiotic stresses like drought and heat. Response of cotton genome to abiotic stresses is highly complex and involve many genes. A comprehensive study, involving cotton genotypes developed through conventional and synthetic tetraploid method, was designed to (i) study the introgression of heat and water stress tolerance by using wild relatives (ii) evaluate genetic markers for marker assisted selection against water and heat stress. Two separate experiments for water and heat stress tolerance with a common control were established. Treatments in each experiment include a control and a stress treatment. Heat stress was applied by sowing crop two month earlier than the control treatment, whereas water stress was imposed by withholding alternate irrigation. Analyses of variance depicted highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) effect of genotypes and both stresses on boll retention, boll weight and seed cotton yield. Interaction of genotypes with stress in both experiments was also highly significant (P ≤ 0.01). Genotypes derived from interspecific crosses performed consistently in stress conditions compared to control which prove it a reliable method to introgress stress related genes from wild parents. Four genes reported for water stress tolerance and five genes reported for heat stress tolerance were evaluated by field results for efficient marker assisted selection (MAS). Results verified drought stress genes but heat stress genes could not explain genetic variability caused by heat stress. It is concluded from the results that separate genes may be responsible for heat stress tolerance for vegetative and reproductive stages, therefore, selection criteria should include both the traits.     

Heat stress effects on reproductive traits in cultivated and wild sunflower (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus annuus</Emphasis> L.): evidence for local adaptation within the wild germplasm

Heat stress (HS) is a major threat to current and future crop production. Crop improvement for HS tolerance is a major tool for dealing with HS and crop wild relatives (CWR) offer the greatest variability for such improvement. Here, we evaluated the HS tolerance on four reproductive traits in cultivated and wild sunflower and tested for local adaptation to HS within the wild germplasm. Three cultivars and 23 wild populations (from native and invasive ranges) were grown in field experiments for 2 years. Flowering heads were covered with white (control) and black (HS) paper bags during seven consecutive days. Additionally, biogeographic tools were used to test for local adaptation. HS increased air temperature on black bags compared to the white ones by 9.4 °C on average and strongly decreased seed number and yield with smaller effects on head diameter and seed weight. We found large variability for HS tolerance, mainly in seed number and yield. The invasive group outperformed the cultivated and native groups in both years. Biogeographic analysis reveals a clinal variation in HS tolerance, populations from wetter (but not from warmer) environments were more tolerant to HS. In addition, the positive correlation observed between reproductive traits under control conditions and HS tolerance helps to explain the better performance of the invasive populations. We proposed the use of invasive populations for future sunflower improvements in HS tolerance and the adoption of biogeographic tools in another CWR species to identify HS tolerant populations.     

Assessing morphological characteristics of elite cotton lines from different breeding programmes for low temperature and drought tolerance

Cotton breeders in the United States strive to develop region‐specific genotypes adapted to low temperatures and variable soil moistures during early‐season planting. Nine elite upland cotton germplasm (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lines, representing public breeding programmes from nine states across the cotton belt, were evaluated for cold and drought stresses during seed germination and seedling growth stages. Lines were subjected to three treatments, such as low temperature well‐watered (22/14°C, WW), optimal temperature drought stress (30/22°C, DS) and optimal temperature well‐watered (30/22°C, WW; control), to examine genotypic variability for cold and drought tolerance. The treatment including drought stress was irrigated at 50% of the control. Shoot and root traits measured at 25 days after planting were significantly affected by drought and low temperature, where significant genetic variability among lines was observed for both shoot and root parameters. Response indices were developed to quantify variation in the degree of tolerance among the lines to low temperature and drought. Accordingly, OA‐33 was identified as the most low‐temperature‐tolerant line and Acala 1517‐99 as the most drought‐tolerant line. Identification of both cold‐ and drought‐tolerant genotypes suggests existing genotypic variability could provide breeders the opportunity to improve cultivar response to early‐season drought or cold conditions.     

红花种子萌发期抗旱性鉴定与评价

为了探索红花耐旱机制及为选育耐旱品种提供理论依据,本文研究了干旱胁迫对红花种质萌发及生长状况的影响。采用聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)模拟干旱胁迫处理,对干旱胁迫下10个红花种质萌发率及幼苗生长指标进行测量,并对各测量指标进行模糊隶属函数分析。结果表明低浓度的PEG对红花种子萌发有一定程度的促进作用；当浓度为15%时,对各指标的抑制作用明显,因此本研究选用15%的PEG浓度鉴定红花种质的抗旱性。在干旱胁迫下红花发芽势、发芽率、下胚轴重、子叶重等降低,胚芽生长受到抑制,干旱对不同种质的根长和根重的影响不一致。通过种子萌发抗旱指数及隶属函数值对红花种质萌发期抗旱性进行综合评价,其中BXY1465为萌发期抗旱性强的材料,BXY512、BXY426、BXY1466以及BXY1859属于萌发期抗旱性中等的材料,BXY1805、BXY2527、BXY2110、BXY750以及WH0086属于萌发期抗性弱的材料。     

Breeding for improved drought tolerance in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important legume crop as a protein source across the world. It is mostly grown on arid and marginal lands where it faces drought stress at different growth stages. Drought stress exerts drastic effects on nutrient uptake, hinders the nodule formation and adversely affects yield and yield components. Generally drought at any growth stage and organizational level is responsible for reduction in economic yield. Significant variability in chickpea germplasm is present on the basis of responses to drought stress in the form of drought escape, drought avoidance and drought tolerance; these mechanisms prevent chickpea crop from harmful effects of drought. Improvement in chickpea germplasm against drought stress could be made by using several breeding approaches, that is introduction, hybridization, mutation breeding, marker‐assisted breeding and omic techniques. These breeding approaches, especially marker‐assisted breeding and omics, are further strengthened with the availability of the chickpea genome sequence. This review highlighted the significance, status and advances in different breeding strategies for improvement of drought tolerance in chickpea.     

Assessment of Sensitivity to Frost in Ochrus chickling (Lathyrus ochrus (L.) D.C.) by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Ochrus chickling ( Lathyrus ochrus (L.) D.C.) is a promising feed legume for rain-fed farming systems in the Mediterranean environments of West Asia and North Africa (WANA) because of its drought tolerance and resistance to broom rape ( Orobanche crenata Forsk.). However, it is highly susceptible to cold and improving Its resistance would further improve its adaptation.
The potential of the chlorophyll fluorescence technique in screening for frost sensitivity in seedlings of five Lathyrus ochrus genotypes and one each of Vicia ervilia (L.) Wild and V. sativa L. was assessed by measuring the rate of rise in induced or variable chlorophyll fluorescence of fully developed leaflets after cold hardening in the open and subsequent exposure to freezing. The method differentiated the highly frost-susceptible L. ochrus genotypes from the more tolerant Vicia species. Testing the technique with nine genotypes of L. ochrus in which the plants were established, cold-hardened and frost-stressed under controlled conditions confirmed its sensitivity even to reveal the narrow inter plant differences that generally exist within a cultivar or genotype to frost. It is therefore considered as a useful screening technique for cold/frost tolerance in L. ochrus.     

合江19号效应及其系谱分析

合江19号集早熟、优质、丰产、抗病性强、适应性广诸多优良性状于一体,30年久种不衰,成为我国北方稻区乃至世界同类稻区推广面积最大,主栽时间最长,经济效益最大的水稻品种。本文运用系谱分析的方法对合江19号进行了深入的系谱分析,明确了亲缘关系和遗传基础,并对合江19号效应产生的原因和启示进行了探讨。指出要充分认识寒地水稻育种的难度,明确新品种的选育方向,立足于当地主栽品种的改良,利用适合当地生态条件的主栽品种做为核心种质,适当添加新的基因源。对后代材料要多年度、多区点进行耐寒性、抗病性、丰产性和适应性等鉴定,良种与良法相结合,以使育成品种具有更广泛的适应性     

影响中期低温库贮存种子生活力因素的研究

对甘肃省中期低温库贮存7~10年具有代表性的8大类13种作物的203份资源材料抽样进行生活力监测,结果表明:除贮存8年的10份大豆(地方)品种比入库发芽率平均上升7.4%外,其它193份资源材料的发芽率均为下降,其中茄子、西瓜、苦荞麦、高粱4种作物需要立即更新。对于外部环境较为稳定的种子低温贮藏来说,作物耐贮存性和入库种子的质量(高生活力和低含水量)是影响种子生活力的主要因素。     

Effect of Sowing Technique on Growth of Undersown Crop and Yield of Spring Barley

Undersowing a main crop enables establishment of a catch crop in areas characterized by a short post-harvest period before the onset of winter. Techniques with lower costs than conventional undersowing by separate drilling are often regarded as unreliable. Undersowing by drilling after sowing spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) was compared with broadcast sowing simultaneously with drilling barley. Various implements were coupled behind the combined drill in cases where seed was broadcast: a press-wheel attachment, a long-tined harrow and a cage roller. A fourth treatment did not include an implement coupled behind the drill. The undersown crop was sown as a seed mixture of 3 kg ha^–1 red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) and 6 kg ha^–1 meadow fescue ( Festuca pratensis Hudson). The numbers of plants and weeds and the plant height were measured five times during the growing season. Above-ground biomass of the undersown species was determined at barley harvest and in late autumn. Grain yield of spring barley was recorded. Drilling resulted in the highest yield of undersown crop when an early summer drought occurred, but broadcasting in combination with use of seed covering equipment led to the least variation in biomass production over the 4 years the experiment was conducted. The relative proportion of meadow fescue in the crop was low in three years, and lower when broadcast than when drilled. Barley grain yield was highest when the seed was broadcast and seed covering equipment was used. Use of a cage roller increased weed biomass, but press-wheels and a long-tined harrow did not. Separate rolling after undersowing increased undersown crop yield in one year, but decreased grain yield in some cases.     

Chickpea molecular breeding: New tools and concepts

Summary Chickpea is a cool season grain legume of exceptionally high nutritive value and most versatile food use. It is mostly grown under rain fed conditions in arid and semi-arid areas around the world. Despite growing demand and high yield potential, chickpea yield is unstable and productivity is stagnant at unacceptably low levels. Major yield increases could be achieved by development and use of cultivars that resist/tolerate abiotic and biotic stresses. In recent years the wide use of early maturing cultivars that escape drought stress led to significant increases in chickpea productivity. In the Mediterranean region, yield could be increased by shifting the sowing date from spring to winter. However, this is hampered by the sensitivity of the crop to low temperatures and the fungal pathogen Ascochyta rabiei. Drought, pod borer (Helicoverpa spp.) and the fungus Fusarium oxysporum additionally reduce harvests there and in other parts of the world. Tolerance to rising salinity will be a future advantage in many regions. Therefore, chickpea breeding focuses on increasing yield by pyramiding genes for resistance/tolerance to the fungi, to pod borer, salinity, cold and drought into elite germplasm. Progress in breeding necessitates a better understanding of the genetics underlying these traits. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) would allow a better targeting of the desired genes. Genetic mapping in chickpea, for a long time hampered by the little variability in chickpea’s genome, is today facilitated by highly polymorphic, co-dominant microsatellite-based markers. Their application for the genetic mapping of traits led to inter-laboratory comparable maps. This paper reviews the current situation of chickpea genome mapping, tagging of genes for ascochyta blight, fusarium wilt resistance and other traits, and requirements for MAS. Conventional breeding strategies to tolerate/avoid drought and chilling effects at flowering time, essential for changing from spring to winter sowing, are described. Recent approaches and future prospects for functional genomics of chickpea are discussed.     

Evaluation of Common Bean for Drought Tolerance in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico

Drought tolerance is an increasingly important trait in common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) due to the reduction in water resources, a shift in production areas and increasing input costs. The objective of this study was to evaluate 29 genotypes for drought tolerance under drought stress (DS) and reduced stress treatments in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. The use of DS and reduced stress treatments facilitated the identification of drought tolerant germplasm that also had good yield potential under more optimal conditions. Based on the results of seed yield under DS and reduced stress conditions, and DS indices, including the geometric mean (GM), stress tolerance index (STI) and percent yield reduction (YR), genotypes were identified with greater yield potential under the tested environment. Based on average GM over the 2 years, the superior common bean genotypes identified were SEA 5, G 21212, A 686, SEN 21 and SER 21. These genotypes performed well in both years and under both treatment conditions and thus may serve as parents for DS improvement and genetic analysis.     

Selection for Non-Shattering Common Vetch, Vicia sativa L.

Loss of seeds from mature pods is common in Vicia sativa L., an important annual, resown forage legume in West Asia and North Africa. Pod shattering restricts its use as a leguminous forage crop. This paper reports the results of germplasm evaluation for non-shattering pods and of breeding and selection to improve seed retention. Wide variation in pod-shattering exists between common vetch ecotypes collected from different regions. Three wild mutants with almost completely non-shattering pods were identified and isolated for use as a genetic resource in cross breeding programmes. Genetic studies revealed that the non-shattering character in the wild types of common vetch is due to a simple recessive gene, whereas shattering in the cultivated types is due to an allelic dominant pair of genes. Incorporation of the non-shattering gene into agronomically-promising lines was achieved by back-crossing. Lines having an average of 95—97 % non-shattering pods were obtained, as compared to 40—50 % in the original cultivated lines which represents a major agronomic advance in common vetch breeding. The importance of seed retention to the economics of seed production is discussed.     

早稻种子包衣直播育秧研究

早稻不催芽直播育秧，抗寒力强，成秧率高，可早播、早熟和省工、省种。是传统育秧方法的创新。种衣剂有防治病、虫、鼠害和营养壮苗作用，它与直播育秧技术结合，可以不侵种直播干谷，又使种衣剂免于在浸种中溶解淋失，两者优势互补，合成一项具有高科技结晶，操作性强。新型实效，简单易行的育秧技术。